90 Days with Jesus, Day 8: Colossians 1:8: The Will of God

Day 8, Colossians 1:9: The Will of God & Prayer “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” “The ‘knowledge of God’s will’ is more than simply an…

Steven Curtis Chapman

Friends, Join me in praying for and suffering with the Steven Curtis Chapman family in their time of grief. SCC Prayer Story More Finally Mr Chapman’s music has touched many lives, and the work he and his wife have done for orphans is a remarkable testimony to the love of Christ in their lives. I…

Free Kutless Music

Friends, Someone hit an old post I did on a Kutless song. This prompted me to hit the Kutless website (see blogroll). When I got there–surprise!–free music. The song is called The Feeling from their forthcoming CD “To Know That You’re Alive.” It’s a .zip file that unpacks into a 2:24 mp3. It’s rather short, but…

The Amazing 80: Liberia, Africa

Friends, A preacher friend of mine, Dave who serves in Indiana and also writes A Pastor’s Prayer Journey with me, and his friend Sam, are heading up a project called The Amazing 80. This is a project to raise $80,000 in order to build a multi-purpose building in Liberia, Africa. The building will be used…

Photo: Bath with a Path

Friends, Here’s another photo by my friend Liz (El Eberly). She calls this one ‘A Bath with a Path.’ I really like this photo. I hope you enjoy it too. jerry

A Shack

This photo was taken by a friend of mine named Liz. When she told me she had taken it, I asked for a copy and she gave. It looks exactly the way I thought it would. jerry

90 Days with Jesus, Day 7: Colossians 1:7-8: Love in the Spirit

It’s that, isn’t it? He doesn’t specify who or what they were loving in the Spirit. It just says, “your love in the Spirit.” Truth be told, does it matter? Our love is not something we have to brag about to others, but if we love like Scripture says we should then it will be visible to others. “By this will the world know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Why? Because the world will see our love being demonstrated. Would that the Body of Christ could be marked by our love in the Spirit instead of marred by our hate and contempt.

The Shack: More to Love

Friends, I have written a little here about the fantastic book simply called The Shack. I know many people are really uptight about some of the things in the book–choosing instead to miss the message of God’s grace than embrace it. Well, a little research at a couple of my favorite blogs has given me…

Congratulations: Pittsburgh Penguins!!!!!!!

Way to Go Penguins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck in the Stanley Cup Finals!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jerry

Book Review: Fabricating Jesus by Craig Evans

I have just finished reading this book Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort The Gospels,  by Craig A Evans, distinguished professor of New Testament and director of the graduate program at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The hardback copy I have from IVP (2006) contains 290 pages. These 290 pages are divided into 11 chapters,…

90 Days with Jesus, Day 6: Colossians 1:6: The Word Among You

Day 6, Colossians 1:6: The Efficacy of the Word “…that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” “Paul describes the effect of Epaphras’ preaching in…

Chickens evolving into Geckos!

Friends, Amazingly, this story originated in, where else, Darwin, Australia! I guess we can safely say that…well…I guess I don’t know what to say. Still, it’s a funny story: Australian scientists are trying to crack the mystery of how a tiny lizard found its way inside a chicken’s egg. “The lizard could not have entered…

Eugene Peterson on Modern Gnostics

Friends, Gnostics delight in secrecy. They are prototypical insiders. They think that access to the eternal is by password and that they know the password. They love insider talk and esoteric lore. They elaborate complex myths that account for the descent of our spiritual selves into this messy world of materiality, and then map the…

Who wrote this?

Friends, Here’s a thought from someone you might not guess. Take your best shot: Our kindness ought to extend much farther in tolerating imperfection of life, for here there is great danger of falling, and Satan employs all his devices to ensnare us. For there always have been persons who, imbued with a false persuasion…

Grace as Undeserved Love, Luke 6:27-36, Podcast #5

Friends, On the page ‘Grace’ I have posted the print version of a sermon I preached in February called “Grace as Undeserved Love.” This is the audio of that sermon I preached on February 17, 2008 at the Painesville Church of Christ in Painesville, Ohio. The congregation is going through some tough times and recently endured…